book review 1 :334

       THE STORY OF FOOTBALL is children's book. Story of football is written. Football was born in China over 2000 years ago. Chinese soldier booted balls made of goat fur into a tiny net to improve their aim with weapons hanging high above them.
        A hundred years later, the Roman army also trained with footballs. Their game involved running with a ball and kicking it over the team's line. As the Roman army conquered Europe, they introduced their ball game to new countries.
        Many people think the Romans introduced football to England too, but one story claims it was first played with the head of a Viking Prince. Football which was played between two villages' a lot of people was dangerous. The only thing that wasn't allowed was murder. Mayer of London banned it from the city's streets. But no one listened to him.
         In the 19th century, smaller teams of students began to play football. It was dangerous and had a lot of problems, so, in 1863, students from several schools and universities in England met to decide exactly how the game should be played. The group named themselves the Football Association (F.A.) and their new sport became known as soccer. The name soccer comes from the SOC in Football AsSOCiation.  A lot of rules were made by them.
         In 1823, players pick up the ball and Rugby was born.
        New types of football develop all over the world, including Australian Rules in 1858, American football in 1874, and Gaelic Football in Ireland in 1887.
       The first soccer World Cup kicks off in South America in 1930.
       The first American Football Superbowl is played to decide the top team in the USA in 1967.
       The first rugby World Cup is played in Australia and New Zealand in 1987.
       197 countries enter the 18th soccer World Cup, in Germany. The final is watched by over a billion fans around the world.
reference 
Jones, Rob. THE STORY OF FOOTBALL: Paddy Mounter (334)

Rob Lloyd Jones ; illustrated by Paddy Mounter

London : Usborne, 2007